We explore the impact of Impressionism on Indian artists, who combined it with indigenous ideas and modernism to create a unique style
Artists are often thought of as isolated iconoclasts, but contrary to popular belief, they are quite a social bunch. Artists V. Viswanathan and SG Vasudev, as well as the late sculptor S. Nandagopal, have hilarious and moving stories about the founding of Cholamandal Artists' Village – home to the Madras Art Movement of the 1960s; stories that testify to the support they gave each other. In Mumbai, members of the Progressive Artists' Group (PAG), formed several decades earlier in 1947, may not have lived in each other's homes, but they had a similar camaraderie and shared sentiments about the direction of art in a newly independent country. In Paris, about a hundred years before PAG, another group of artists came together, played with light and color and brought spontaneity to art by painting outdoors, choosing everyday subjects and giving art a sense of movement and clarity.
Without this kind of community, artists would not thrive, and without inspiration from the past they would be able to create little new or original, as our story celebrating the 150th anniversary of Impressionism shows. We explore the impact of Impressionism on Indian artists, who created a South Asian tradition that combined the best elements of Impressionism with indigenous ideas and modernism to create a unique style that continues to permeate art practice to this day runs.
The idea of camaraderie and inspiration from the past is common in our stories. Rohit Brijnath meets Abhinav Bindra again and the two reflect on what it means to retire. Actors Richa Chadha and Manisha Koirala narrate Lounge about the making of their new series Heeramandi, as Kinara Capital founder Hardika Shah discusses the ins and outs of microfinance in India and the need to support small business owners. We also have a review of Dev Patel's Monkey man and many more suggestions for what to do this weekend.
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